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Reviews, Sleep

The Snooz Review – Does it really help improve your sleep?

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My Snooz Review

The Snooz is a device that claims to block out noise to help you sleep better. It’s yet another device I backed on Kickstarter. A more accurate description of what the Snooz is, taken from their Kickstart campaign:

SNOOZ is an acoustic white noise machine that helps you fall asleep and stay asleep. Using a proprietary fan in an acoustically optimized enclosure, SNOOZ produces peaceful white noise to help the world fade away so you can sleep.

So does the Snooz work as they claim? Keep reading my review of Snooz and find out.

The Snooz on Kickstarter…. a really late project

The Snooz team was extremely late in delivering the product. They originally planned to ship by March 2016 but I didn’t get mine until April 2017, over a year later. Was it worth the wait? For me, yes it was.

The prototype you see in the Kickstarter campaign looks nothing like the final version.

meet snooz
Snooz prototype
snooz white noise machine
This is the first Snooz unit they sent me.

What’s the Snooz good for?

The Snooz works great at drowning out sound. My bedroom faces the street and there are car sounds that are quite noticeable late at night or early in the morning, but not with the Snooz on. I had to play with the volume of the Snooz to get it to a level where it drowns out most of the noise, but isn’t so loud that it’s a distraction on it’s own. You will likely have to experiment with the right volume that works for you, too.

How’s the Snooz app?

I never use the app. I have never even installed the app. I have too many damn apps on my phone. I just manually press the power button on the top of the Snooz when I’m ready to use it and press it again in the morning when I wake up to turn it off. I’m not even sure what you can do with the app. I would guess schedule when the Snooz turns on and off, volume control, and the tone of the fan? I honestly have no clue.

snooz app enabled
Snooz app features

The Snooz breaks! Dun, dun, dunnnnnn….

The top of the lights on the Snooz stopped working randomly a few weeks ago. I emailed the Snooz team the next day and asked how I could fix it and they said that it’s probably the beginning of the end for that unit, and that they’d send me a new one immediately. Sure enough, the next day they shipped me one and sent me a tracking number. I just received the new one yesterday and used it last night. I think I’ll keep using my old one until it finally kicks the bucket before I start using the new unit.

So there’s a bit of warning. The Snooz is potentially non durable as my first unit lights stopped working within 3 months. But the good news is that customer support from the Snooz team is very fast and responsive.

Why not use a real fan, you ask? You could, but it would run more power. The Snooz is also very portable, so you can take it with you while traveling. I have yet to do so but may do that in the future. It would have come in handy in on my last trip where my roommate snored like a jackhammer. Here are some other advantages:

snooz comparison
snooz white noise comparison

The Snooz review conclusion… worth it? Worth it.

The Snooz works really well for me. The first time I tried the Snooz the quality of my sleep jumped up a couple of notches. Since then, I’ve been using it every night while at home. I think the Snooz is overpriced, unfortunately. For the same amount of money you could get yourself a pretty decent fan that also has the added ability of actually being a useable fan. But if you want volume control, portability, and app controlled sleep assistant, the Snooz is a good investment.

If you want to find out more about the Snooz, visit their website here.

 

Reviews, Sleep, Technology

The BedJet v2 Review – Reviewing The BedJet v2

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My BedJet Review for v2 of the BedJet

BedJet on Kickstarter

​​The BedJet v2 was another project I backed on Kickstarter.

Their version 1 had great reviews on Amazon and their Kickstarter campaign piqued my interest. As someone who experiments with sleep gadgets and habits a lot and emphasizes the importance of a quality night of sleep, the BedJet v2 seemed like an interesting product.

​BedJet Features

The feature that most interested me was the custom tailored temperature settings that would adjust the temperature throughout the night to keep you at the ideal body temperature for the entire sleep duration.

bedjet review
BedJet body temperature schedule settings

I sleep hot so the cooling feature was also very attractive to me. I even made a BedJet video to win a second BedJet. (Hint: I didn’t win)

They also market the benefits of the dual zone, but I can’t comment on that as you need two BedJets for it to work – one for each side of the bed.

First Impressions for the BedJet

Installation is pretty easy and the BedJet is mostly unnoticeable except for the nozzle at the foot of the bed, which sticks out a bit and can get in the way sometimes.

The app is clunky and difficult to figure out at first, but after a few minutes playing around with it you’ll get the hang of it.

To take full advantage of the BedJet v2 you also need to purchase their air comforter, which is a big bummer. The air comforter is fairly comfortable and has an opening at the foot of the comforter that you insert the nozzle head into. The air comforter works well by allowing the BedJet’s airflow to make it all the way towards your head.

The warm function is UNBELIEVABLE, especially in the winter months or on those cold nights. BedJet also included some aroma therapy strips you can use by adding a couple drops of an aroma therapy oil such as lavender to the strips and then clipping them to the mouth of the nozzle. The aroma therapy stuff seemed to be an afterthought as it is kinda cheap-looking the way they designed it, but combining it with the warm function truly is a wonderful experience. It’s the best part of the BedJet, in my opinion.

Is the BedJet v2 worth it?

The BedJet v2 let’s you set a schedule depending on your temperature throughout the night. The problem is the BedJet isn’t able to measure your temperature so it’s a lot of trial and error. The defaults they gave me for my age and sex and all of that kept waking me up in the middle of the night all sweaty. That’s the biggest issue with the Bedjet. It never gets cool enough, and gets further exasperated by their air comforter. The problem is the air comforter is far too thick. I end up sweating a lot more with air comforter and the BedJet’s cooling function set to the maximum then I do without using either and going with my trust Sheex bedsheets. Unfortunately the BedJet is not compatible with Sheex. And honestly, between Bedjet and Sheex, I choose Sheex all day.

BedJet Review Thoughts & Conclusion

Sadly I’ve stopped using BedJet completely. The air comforter is just far too uncomfortable for me, especially during the hot summer nights. And the fact that the BedJet won’t work with a breathable sheet like the Sheex is a deal-breaker for me. As much as I loveee the warm function during the winter, I can’t justify recommending the BedJet v2 just for that due to the costs, setup, extra accessories like the air comforter, and so forth. So in my opinion unless you sleep really cold throughout the night all year round I think the BedJet v2 is worth skipping.

BedJet Pros

  • Warm function works great
  • Create temperature schedules with the app
  • Aroma therapy strips enhance the experience
  • Easy setup

BedJet Cons

  • Expensive
  • Air comforter needed for maximum airflow
  • Air comforter not included
  • Air comforter too thick
  • BedJet v2 not compatible with breathable sheets like Sheex
  • Nozzle slightly noticeable, can kick it with feet sometimes
  • App is ugly and has a learning curve

Overall, I like the idea of the BedJet. I think where it falls short is on the air comforter and the fact that it can’t get any cooler than simply not using the BedJet and air comforter altogether. I give the BedJet v2 a 2.5 out of 5. We’ll round up to 3 just for kicks. I hope you enjoyed my BedJet review. And I hope it helped you in your decision on whether to purchase a BedJet for your own needs. You can get BedJet here.

Gear, Reviews, Travel

The Y Athletics SilverAir Sock Review

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The Y Athletics SilverAir Sock on Kickstarter

The Y Athletics SilverAir sock is the third project I backed on Kickstarter. This was another great project I backed. The next two projects I backed I still haven’t gotten the products yet, and likely never will. Here’s the Y Athletics SilverAir sock Kickstarter video.

 

 

What is the SilverAir sock?

The SilverAir sock claims to be an athletic sock that’s breathable, durable, comfortable, anti-bacterial and anti-odour. What a mouthful. It’s made by Y Athletics, an online retailer of travel and sports gear. Does the SilverAir sock live up to the hype? Let’s find out.

SilverAir socks
Feet up and relaxing with my comfy SilverAir socks.

 

Y Athletics Ready to Deliver… on Customer Service

When the SilverAir sock was ready to deliver the goods I was about to go on a trip to Asia and really wanted my stuff in time, but the timeline was squeaky bumb tight. I reached out to the Y Athletics team to see if they could help and they tried to rush send me the stuff. It didn’t make it in time. I ended up getting them on my return from Asia. A shame, really, because going to the hot and humid parts of Asia I was at would have really put the SilverAir sock claims to the test.

 

Then a few months later I got another package of the exact same contents. They sent me two packages of the same thing. That means instead of getting 3 pairs of SilverAir socks, 3 SilverAir T-shirts, a travel bag and a gym bag, I got double that amount. I asked Y Athletics if this was a mistake and if they were aware they sent me two of the same package and they said no they weren’t. But they also told me to keep the second package because it was their mistake. Talk about awesome! While most crowdfunding campaigns I’ve backed have really crappy customer support, the team at Y Athletics is not one of them.

Y Athletics Crowdfunding Success

I’ve backed 3 of their projects (the SilverAir sock, the SilverAir crew sock, and the SilverAir merino underwear), and I think they have launched 5 or 6 at this point. This seems to be a model that has brought them great success as every single one of their Kickstarter campaigns have smashed their funding goal and collectively generated over $1 million bucks.

 

The second campaign I backed, the SilverAir crew sock, isn’t something I likely would have backed had they not been so cool about letting me keep the second package they sent me by accident. The other reason is they make awesome gear. I’m really impressed with everything that I’ve purchased from them. That includes the SilverAir sock, the SilverAir crew sock, the Y Athletics T-shirt, and the Y Athletics travel underwear. I’ll stick to talking about the socks and T-shirt in this review and leave the travel underwear for another day (hint: they are amazeballs).

 

First, let’s talk quality. There were some hiccups here. The crew sock, for example, had a hole in one of the socks after I wore it once. They quickly sent me a replacement, though. Again, awesome customer service. Next, one of the T-shirts looks like it snared on something the very first time I wore it, even though as far as I could tell I didn’t do anything outlandish or eventful that day.

SilverAir T-shirt loose thread
Loose thread on my SilverAir T-shirt

 

The fix was simple. I used a nail clipper and clipped away the loose thread, as per the instructions from Y Athletics. For the crew sock, they also sent me two left versions.

SilverAir crew socks two left feet
Two left feet on the SilverAir crew socks

But they were able to replace this for me, as well. The lesson here is never underestimate the power of good customer support. It’s the difference between a dissatisfied customer and a customer advocate who recommends your product.

After many washes, I have also noticed there is some pilling in the stomach area of the T-shirts. I’m not sure why that area specifically starts to pill, but it is slightly noticeable on all the shirts. Maybe it’s the way I sit and how my gut folds onto them, I’m not sure.

The socks also have their silver threads start to show and appear to fray after a couple of washes. I don’t think it’s that noticeable or that big of a deal, but I can see how that may put some people off from the product. But if you are willing to look past that you are in for a treat.

Do the SilverAir socks work?

The big question of whether the SilverAir socks actually work remains. And for me, the answer is absolutely yes. To be sure, I wore the socks and T-shirts daily for weeks to put their anti-odour claims to the test (the things I do for science). By the end of it, the socks were as odourless as when I first put them on. That isn’t to say they were fresh smelling. The absence of odour doesn’t mean fabric softener fresh. It simply means the SilverAir socks and T-shirts, after weeks of wear (including through workouts) and without washes, didn’t smell funky. At all. That in itself is pretty remarkable and mind blowing.

Conclusion

I am so happy with the SilverAir socks and T-shirts that they are a staple in my travel repertoire. They are the first things I pack when I travel. It also doesn’t hurt that they look pretty stylish and fashionable rather than look like sports or travel wear, making them versatile items in any wardrobe.

I’m a big fan of the SilverAir socks and T-shirts. I give them two thumbs up. If you are interested in purchasing them then check them out on their website at Yathletics.com.

 

Reviews

BetterBack Review: Effortless Perfect Posture or Scam?

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BetterBack Review. Does it work as promised?

 

What is the BetterBack?

The BetterBack is a portable harness used to secure your lower back while you sit. It claims to help improve posture, ease back pain and improve your health with just 15 minutes of daily use. Does it live up to the claims? Read on and find out.

The Kickstarter connection

The BetterBack was a product I discovered on Kickstarter, back when I used to visit the site daily to look at all the new products that were being crowdfunded on the platform. It was the second product I backed after first supporting my buddies project, the awesome compression socks by Top & Derby. I ended up getting an early bird 2 pack so that I could give one to my dad, who also spends a lot of the time sitting in front of a computer like me.

BetterBack on Shark Tank

The crowdfunding campaign was a huge success and raised over $1 million buckaroos. They were also on Shark Tank. This was over 2 years ago so my memory is a little hazy on all the details, but I do remember getting screwed over by BetterBack (at least that’s how I felt at the time). When they were ready to ship the products I was traveling in Asia and asked if they could hold off on shipping it. They said no and instead shipped it to a non-early bird backer. Then they put me on a huge waiting list. So I ended up having to wait another 4 months and lots of back and forth emails before I finally got them. At the time I remember being frustrated, but over time I’ve come to realize that this is par for the course when it comes to crowdfunding campaigns. There are always delays and customer support generally stinks to high heavens.

In the end the most important question for me was, “Did I get what I paid for?”.

At the time I ordered the BetterBack, I was having frequent bouts of low back pain. Off and on pain that plagued me for years. Stress, sitting, deadlifts, and jiu-jitsu could trigger back pain seemingly at any moment. So if there was a low-cost, easy to use solution like the BetterBack that promised to reduce the back pain, I was willing to give it a shot.

And so the question is, does it work? For me, the answer is a resounding yes. And it works quite well. As soon as you strap yourself in you realize how good it feels on your lower back. It instantly makes it easier to sit up straight and harder to slouch. Now I don’t know about their 15 minutes a day claim, because I use it pretty much all the time when I am sitting, but I do know that after some time my low back pain has improved dramatically. I still get low back pain here and there, usually from pushing too hard in the weight room, especially after a long day sitting in front of the computer, but the BetterBack has most definitely helped.

A colleague was also complaining of low back pain and when I got her a BetterBack it all went away.

They had a second successful Kickstarter a little while back, but I didn’t support that one. It seems like a slightly improved version that also has hot/cold therapy.

There are knockoffs you can get now, as well. I can’t speak to how good they are but it might be worth checking out if you are bargain hunting.

betterback review
my betterbacks!

BetterBack Review Conclusion

As far as crowdfunding campaigns that I’ve backed, the BetterBack is one of the best I’ve backed and I’m quite happy with the product.

I would definitely recommend the BetterBack if you have low back pain and are looking for a low-cost solution. The BetterBack really does help keep your low back secure while sitting. It may be able to help if you suffer from low back pain and sit a lot. I recommend it.

I hope you enjoyed this BetterBack review. If you think you’d like to find out more about the BetterBack, you can get it here.

Life, Me

Mid Year Update 2017: Back on track, baby!

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I still have trouble wrapping my head around how fast time seems to fly by. And even more surprisingly, accelerating. It’s June, and hot out, and it feels not too long ago it was still quite cold outside with snow on the ground.

 

This year so far has been good. The best I’ve had in my 30s so far by a mile. That’s not to say much. My 30s have been really shit. But so far this year feels good. Good, as in normal (for the most part). I hope this is my new normal. Normal is nice. I think the contrast from around December when I was juggling too many things compared to now where I’m only working on two things is a huge breath of fresh air. The boundaries are nice. I can take a little time to myself without worrying about this or that thing. I think better as a result. And I’m more effective and happier because of it. I went for a swim today and just lounged around and it felt great.

 

If there’s one gripe I have, it’s that things are moving along too slowly. Maybe that’s why time seems to move so quickly, in contrast to the slow-moving progress that is my life. For example, I thought I’d see my abs again by this time, but I’m not even close to beach ready. Even though I’ve already dropped 13 lbs since the beginning of the year, I have about 5-7 more to go. Progress, just slow. I keep reminding myself that we tend to overestimate what we can accomplish in the short term but underestimate what we can accomplish in the long term. I’m no exception to this tendency, it would seem. Other things that also seem to be moving along slower than I’d like to include my work, side project, and just about everything else going on. But, honestly, it is to be expected. So not really a gripe, just an observation.

 

Aside from that, not much else to report. I’ve been injury free and enjoying lifting weights lately. And since the beginning of spring, I’ve resumed my daily walks. I love them, they are such an energy and mind recharge and such a relaxing activity.

 

Oh yeah, and I got Lasik last month! There was a bit of a scare that the surgery overcorrected my vision in the 1 week follow-up. I was getting splitting headaches, and my eye doc prescribed me glasses, completely defeating the purpose of getting Lasik done. But literally right after that appointment, the headaches all vanished. It has been smooth sailing ever since and my vision feels really good. I still can’t believe that I’m seeing so clearly and without glasses. It is a total game-changer.

1 day after Lasik
The day after Lasik surgery. Complete with complementary big ass shades and free Raptors hat from Bochner Eye Institute.

I think I’m going to start writing a little bit more, again. Maybe just stupid silly things, like product reviews of Kickstarter projects I’ve backed. But just something to do to take my mind away from work stuff and to hopefully kickstart (pun intended) a writing routine. My Yelp reviews just aren’t doing it for me. No pressure.

Goals, Life, Me

2016 – A little lonely and a little lost

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“Fuck…”

“I can’t take this anymore…”

“Somethings gotta change…”

That was me 3 weeks ago. I was at my wits end. It felt like I was suffocating. What I was doing for the majority of the year wasn’t working and I knew it. I was overworked, ineffective, and unhappy. Basically, everything I didn’t want in my life. So I bailed… on almost everything.

It felt like I just chopped off one of my arms. But it was swift. Painful but swift. I closed 4 of my websites for good. I emailed my customers telling them I was closing up shop and gave them enough time to export and backup their data. And I cried a little. And I may have pooped in my pants. I can’t remember.

2016 was a lot like 2015 in many ways… it went a lot harder than I thought it would. If you were to read my 2015 update you could almost update the year from 2015 to 2016 and you’d almost be correct. It was much worse in many ways. But there’s only so many ways I can write I had a shitty year without sounding repetitive and like I’m feeling sorry for myself. There were some differences, obviously. It’s not like the movie Groundhog Day where I was living the same shitty day over and over.

But I think in terms of my social life, my hobbies, my sleep, it was all very similar and my mid-year update covered it pretty well.

Since the mid-year update, not much has changed except a few things worth noting. In August I began a four-month bulk that resulted in me gaining over 30 pounds. The really crazy part to me was about 2 months into the bulk, I was already over 35 pounds and far too fat. So I had to actually make some adjustments and ended up at 168 lbs. At one point I was over 170 lbs, which was crazy to me. All prior attempts at putting on weight never put me over 160, let alone 170. While I’m happy that I was able to put on that much weight in such a short amount of time, I will never attempt to do it like this ever again. I look and feel disgusting. I’ve got a huge gut, feel much more lethargic, and have a crazy amount of bacne and random skin rashes that refuse to go away. I also don’t have any clothes that fit me properly. So now I have to start cutting out the fat while maintaining the muscle I gained. Theoretically, it shouldn’t be too hard. Eat a little bit less while keeping the protein relatively high, and increase my energy expenditure (more exercise, more daily movement, more activity). Let’s hope it doesn’t get too difficult. I don’t foresee it being too bad but if my track record for everything else in my life is any indication, I’m probably way off.

The neck pinch I had in July resulted in another MRI scan of my neck. The results possibly explained the tingling and numbness I had in my arms and hands and fingers. 5 of 7 of the discs in my neck are bulging, 2 somewhat seriously with stenosis to boot. Yay, me. BJJ, one of my favourite hobbies, has been difficult. I’d spar with some people and my neck would be sore for a week. So I haven’t been going very often, unfortunately, which makes me sadface.

Productivity and learning really started to take off in the last quarter of the year. I was learning a shitload and getting a lot done. I spent a lot of money buying software and online courses to further my education. It was as if I was subconsciously building up a war chest of business software and upgrading my brain because of the coming fallout that my subconscious inevitably knew was coming.

I was disappointed in how I handled some important things this year, especially in business. I was overconfident in thinking I could do it all. Way too much hubris. But I didn’t know what to do and had nobody to turn to. I felt lonely. One of my best friends moved away in February. Another decided to bail on a business we were working on together. Another moved away in August. And my Grandma passed away in July. That one gutted me and still fucks with me. All in all, I felt lost, lonely, and unsure of what to do. I bought an online business because why not. I started dating again around that time because why not x2. They were all missteps that if I just took a second to think it through I would realize how bad the decisions were. I was adding gasoline to an already full tank. I was just overflowing, and scatter-brain, and unfocused. I was like a frog in a pot of water about to boil. It was around September that I was reaching the boiling point. And by December…pop.

But here’s why I’m not worried…

I watched the UFC last night – Rousey vs Nunes. I was wrong about both main events. Two of my favourite fighters lost, and one of them got murked. And then this morning all I could see were memes mocking Rousey for her loss. And I was reminded of something I already knew. People who make memes about women getting beat up just aren’t part of my tribe. I don’t even know how to associate with that or them on that level. But people who work their asses off day in and day out, who try their best and still come up short from time to time but who aren’t afraid to put in the work and keep going…shit…that…THAT is my fam. That I can relate to. All. Damn. Day.

This is Dominic Cruz after his loss. Listen to this shit. I had it re-running for 20 minutes straight so it could seep into my thick skull. The most dominant bantamweight in history just lost for the first time in 9 years yet his perspective is unexpected and inspiring.

 

Story time…. I haven’t told this one to anybody because it’s a little sappy and weird…

I went to visit my old stomping grounds earlier in the year. I went to say hi to some cafe owners I hadn’t seen in a few years – a brother and sister run business. I had gotten to know them over the years and found out a lot about them. Prior to the cafe, they ran a number of businesses – night clubs and restaurants, so naturally they’ve met a lot of people over the years. Anyway, when we were catching up they gave me a lot of life tips, wisdom and words of encouragement and fed me for free until I was stuffed to the gills. As I was about to leave the sister said something that really stuck with me. She kind of sat me down and looked me in the eyes, and in the most sincerest way I’ve ever seen she said I was special. That I was different and unique from anybody she’s come across throughout the years of running businesses and meeting thousands of people. I laughed awkwardly and looked over at her brother to see if she was fucking with me. His eyes were glued on me and nodding at everything she was saying. Then she said something along the lines of “Maybe the world doesn’t see it yet, but they will. How you will show this to the world is yet to be known.” It was so surreal and corny but still sends chills down my spine and something I think about regularly.

Oh, 2016… what a strange year. I made some bad choices, true. But I gained invaluable experience and wisdom. Nothing that I could get from a book or a classroom. I found limits in what I could do, how much I could juggle, and did things I didn’t think I could do. Putting on so much weight was a real eye opener for me. I’ve never been able to do that ever before in all prior attempts. And to do it so quickly, too. Sure, my businesses failed. But the feedback and encouragement from users has been amazing. For some projects, I was able to sell off the assets. For others, I walked away from bad deals after weeks of negotiation. And my skillsets really expanded. Realistically speaking, I’m capable of handling so much more. More pressure, more heartaches and headaches. And the only way to really find your limits is to try to push them.

2017 will be interesting. I have lots to apply and learn and my work is cut out for me. But it’s an exciting time. I hope I can make at least 1 business profitable – either mine or somebody else’s. I hope my cut goes well and I see my abs again. I hope I’ll be able to do a little bit of travel, perhaps in the spring or fall. I hope I’ll be able to connect with more of my tribe, maybe through teaching or joining some meetups. I hope to improve my Spanish. But, we’ll see. The last 4 years haven’t gone nearly as I’d imagined so I don’t really have any expectation that 2017 will be any different. Still, I am excited in the possibilities of what lies ahead. Happy new year and I hope you had a good one and an even better 2017.

Goals, Life, Me

Mid Year Update OR Holy SH*T It’s Almost July

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It’s almost July. My oh my the time flies. This year has been blazing on by like a meteor. It’s been a tough one. Lots of downs and not so many ups. But it’s fine. I don’t care. The winds will change eventually. I am patient and I am determined.

I’m typing this currently with a pinched nerve in my neck that’s causing pain, weakness, and numbness in my left arm and shoulder. I didn’t do anything out of the ordinary except sleep on a friend’s couch. Life is funny that way. I herniated a disc and bulged a disc in my neck many years ago and the pain sometimes comes back to haunt me. This is the worst it’s ever been and I have another MRI planned for it. I have to take it easy from my hobbies like jiu jitsu and strength training for a little while I figure out what’s going on with it. I injured my knee back in December. It was supposed to heal in 6-8 weeks. But at week 12 my physiotherapist told me it’d be 6 months. I was disappointed but took it in stride. It’s now almost 7 months and still isn’t 100%. I can’t even remember the last time I told my friends and family some good news. I am looking forward to when that time comes.

I’ve just re-read some of my year-end goals and predictions that I wrote at the end of last year to compare how things have played out so far, and I’m quite pleased.

Health

Health wise I have some issues I have to tend to aside from this pesky pinched nerve and slow-healing knee. It’s been tough because I have to be careful on what I eat, drink, and do. But I think come August I do plan on going on a bulk. My goal will be to put on a good 10 lbs of lean muscle so we’ll see how that goes. That’s the plan, but it means nothing if this pinched nerve and other shit doesn’t heal up. Plans are useless, but planning is everything I guess. 

I have a few more weeks of another 90-day cycle of P90X3. I enjoy P90X3 quite a bit, but I think after this round I won’t ever do another 90 straight days on the program, at least for a long while. Especially if I’m going to bulk then it would be counter-productive, but I also just need a break from daily rigid exercise. I really like the yoga and mobility program though so I’ll be sure to put those into my rotation on the regular.

Social

Socially my life is even worse than it was before. One of my best friends moved away and I’ve distanced myself from some others who I felt were having too negative an impact on me. Combined with my restrictions due to my health and it’s just hard to get out. I started dating a little bit but nothing really lasted. Women were complaining that I wasn’t spending enough time with them. I have since stopped because they were absolutely right and dating just isn’t a priority to me. I felt like I was being stretched too thin from it and I wasn’t really taking it seriously or enjoying it so I am shelving it for the time being. It’s important that I remind myself to live my life on my terms and not fold into societal and family pressures that I should do this or that or be at this or that point in my life by now.

Hobbies

I did finally get around to trying archery, and I did enjoy it. But the range I went to had tons of mosquitos that ate me alive and also lots of ticks so I haven’t been back. This pinched nerve prevents me from doing it as well, but I definitely see myself doing it more often in the future.

Productivity

I can do better here still. I have had tons of output this year so far and continue to bring it, but it could be more consistent. Some days I’d give myself a 10/10 on productivity and other days a 2 or 3. More 10s and less 2s is very doable. I have also noticed a decline lately as the weather has gotten nicer and that’s no good, either. It’s time to get back on the saddle.

Travel

True to my prediction, I haven’t done any travel this year aside from a weekend trip portaging up north, which was a last minute decision. I was going to go to Colombia in August but that has fallen through. I think if I can go on a 3-month bulk then the timeframe for travel would ideally be November. I want to go somewhere because I have a crazy travel itch at the moment but if it doesn’t happen I’m ok with that as well.

Sleep

It has only improved from last year. I fall asleep faster, sleep deeper, wake up to pee less often, and wake up feeling more refreshed than ever. The quality is there so I am quite happy here.

Happiness

I have spent a lot of time on healing myself up this year. Lots of reading and meditation and introspection and journaling and personal discovery and exercise. I think even if shitty things happen to you, with an unbreakable mind it doesn’t matter. Even if everything goes to shit and your friends and your family give up on you, as long as you don’t give up on yourself then everything will be alright.

So yeah, so far so good. I refuse to let setbacks keep me down. Keep on trucking. Or as Dory would say, just keep swimming…There’s still tons of year left to do some damage, so get after it.